Recipe Summary
This meal is loaded in fiber and protein to keep you full without the simple carbohydrates, that add little nutrition and can make you tired. This is a go-to, quick and easy meal that satisfies your craving for comfort food and pasta. My son said, "this is a meal I can not resist." This bread and pasta loving kid did not even notice the substitution. He didn't even realize he was getting a second helping of veggies. My husband said, "Wow, this is really good. And I guess it's pretty healthy too, huh. Oh, and you made it in just one pan." I made this in less than 30 minutes, with seriously not one complaint, and I was actually able to enjoy my meal :).
Ingredients
- One spaghetti squash
- 24 oz. of tomato pasta sauce Note: I used home canned but I calculated the points using Ragu Light Pasta Sauce, since it does not use added sugar.
- 1 pound of extra lean ground turkey
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 tsp. fennel
- 1 tsp. of sage
- 1 tsp. of garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cooking Directions
- Cut spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise. Note: Use a sharp large knife and hold squash firmly. Be careful as they can be difficult to cut.
- Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and dispose seeds in the garbage. Place open side up in the microwave and cook on high for 10 minutes
- In a large skillet pan (I use a cast iron), brown ground turkey meat. Add seasoning to the meat (this gives it a sausage flavor). Fully cook and break in to small pieces.
- Add sauce to the pan and mix completely.
- Remove spaghetti squash from the microwave. It will be hot, so handle carefully with a pot holder or kitchen towel.
- Use a fork to scrape out the "noodles" of the squash. When scraping the squash with the fork length wise, they should easily come out in the form of noodles. Continue to scrap both halves until all is completely removed.
- Add squash noodles to the meat sauce in the pan and stir until fully mixed in.
- Allow to cook for a few minutes.
- Stir in 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese. This will add flavor and soak up the extra liquid added from squash after it continues to cook.
- Enjoy as a one pot meal or with a side.
Serving Size / Serves
This makes 10 one cup servings. Left-overs can be easily reheated. This also freezes great. Freeze in individual servings for your own freezer lunch meals or when you are craving spaghetti.
Nutritional Facts
This meal is packed with nutrition:
There are so many health benefits to spaghetti squash: https://foodfacts.mercola.com/spaghetti-squash.html
Also, tomatoes are also loaded with essential vitamins and minerals: https://www.livescience.com/54615-tomato-nutrition.html
Eat up!